Owning a home in California can be expensive, but there are programs that can help lower your property taxes. Proposition 13, passed by voters, was created to keep property taxes…

The most important step in the homebuying process is choosing your mortgage lender—and the best time to do that is when you are getting pre-approved. Being organized when starting the…

Mortgage insurance is common for most borrowers who finance real estate purchases with less than a 20% down payment, as it is often required when the down payment falls below…

With interest rates high, homeowners are turning to HELOANs (Home Equity Loans) to tap into their home’s equity without refinancing their first mortgage. Lenders have slowly reacted to the increased…

If you are looking to purchase a home for your disabled child or elderly parent, a Family Opportunity Mortgage may be the solution. Typically, a buyer who already owns a…

VantageScore 4.0 is a new credit scoring model that mortgage lenders may start utilizing as a substitute for traditional FICO scores. It is similar to the existing FICO scoring model,…

An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot. It is often referred to as a granny flat or in-law suite and functions on…

If you’re planning to get pre-approved for a mortgage, how you file your tax returns matters. Whether you’re self-employed or employed full time, how you file your taxes can affect…

There is a lot of paperwork involved with a real estate transaction. Here are the main documents you will encounter, what they mean, and why they are important: Purchase Agreement…

Home prices increased substantially in the past few years. This rapid increase in home prices has resulted in major equity gains for existing homeowners. As a result, homeowners have been…